Means for Augmenting Medical Electrical Systems
AssigneeMedtronic, Inc.
InventorsPaul J. DeGroot, Karel F.A.A. Smits
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A medical electrical system includes a device including a connector port and an external electrically active surface and an auxiliary lead including a supplemental electrode and a connector end. The external electrically active surface of the device is adapted to receive the auxiliary lead connector end, thereby electrically coupling the supplemental electrode to the device via contact between the connector end and the external surface.
Claims25
A medical device, comprising:
- a connector port including an internal electrical contact, the connector port adapted to receive a connector terminal of a medical electrical lead, thereby electrically coupling an electrode of the lead to the medical device via contact between the connector terminal and the internal contact;
- an external electrically active surface adapted to receive a connector end of an auxiliary medical electrical lead and thereby electrically couple a supplemental electrode of the auxiliary lead to the medical device via contact between the connector end and the external surface;
- and
- a connector module in which the connector port is formed and wherein the external electrically active surface is positioned on an outer surface of the connector module.
An auxiliary medical electrical lead, comprising:
- an insulated conductor;
- a supplemental electrode electrically coupled to the conductor;
- an electrical connector including a contact surface electrically coupled to the conductor, the connector adapted to connect to an external electrically active surface of an implantable medical device and thereby couple the supplemental electrode to the medical device via the contact surface.
An auxiliary medical electrical lead, comprising:
- an insulated conductor;
- a single supplemental defibrillation electrode electrically coupled to the conductor;
- an electrical connector including a contact surface electrically coupled to the conductor, the connector adapted to connect to an external electrically active surface of an implantable medical device thereby coupling the single supplemental defibrillation electrode to the medical device;
- and
- a patch area and wherein the supplemental defibrillation electrode is mounted in or on the patch area.
A medical electrical system comprising:
- a lead including an electrode and a connector terminal electrically coupled to the electrode via an insulated conductor;
- an auxiliary lead including a supplemental electrode and a connector end electrically coupled to the supplemental electrode via a supplemental insulated conductor;
- and
- a device including a connector port and an external electrically active surface;
- wherein the connector port includes an internal electrical contact and is adapted to receive the lead connector terminal, thereby electrically coupling the electrode to the device via contact between the connector terminal and the internal contact;
- and
- the external electrically active surface is adapted to receive the auxiliary lead connector end and thereby electrically couple the supplemental electrode to the device via contact between the connector end and the external surface, wherein the auxiliary lead further includes a patch area and wherein the supplemental electrode is mounted in or on the patch area.
A method for augmenting a medical electrical system to include a supplemental electrode, the method comprising the steps of:
- electrically connecting a pre-positioned lead electrode to a device via insertion of a lead connector terminal into a connector port formed in the device;
- evaluating the performance of the system;
- and
- electrically connecting supplemental lead electrode to the device via attachment of a supplemental lead connector to an external electrically active surface of the device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.